That awkward moment when you realize it's almost been a full year since my last post. Y'all aren't that invested in my life anyway, right?

*continues to write like people actually give a hoot about my ramblings*

Anyway, here's a small recap for the people who actually take the time to read this garbage blog of mine. Since the last time I posted: I came home from a year long road trip through Europe and moved to the badass city of Vancouver. The last 8 to 9 months have been spent working, saving, indulging in the mass amount of rad venues and shows, making some new friends and really just getting to know the city I’ve wanted to live in since I was 15. It’s been great!

The first month or so here was definitely a bit of a trip and took some getting used to. I always used to think of Vancouver as this huge metropolis, but after visiting a lot of the major cities in Europe I've come to realize that it's really quite manageable. Public transit is no longer something that is intimidating, especially after navigating the intricate train lines of Berlin. Basically, I’ve become the ultimate master and guru of Google Maps.

Sure, downtown Vancouver is insane with the amount of people that walk Granville street, but still nothing compared to tossing elbows with the locals and tourists of London. I find it slightly entertaining how downtown used to be the only part of the city I would spend time in, and now that I’ve lived here for a bit, I make a note of avoiding it at all costs - unless I’m going to a show or meeting a friend from out of town. I mean, you gotta show them the touristy parts of the city, right? After all, it’s not that bad… just busy.

One of my favourite things about avoiding downtown is that there are so many great views of downtown. There’s something about the glass buildings and the density of it all that make me just swoon. Or maybe it’s the reflection of the ocean on all the glass structures, or the towering mountains in the background, or just the fun of exploring the pockets of nature amongst the city? I don’t know, but I’m sure it has everything to do with the nature to city ratio. It’s pretty top notch. Jeff agrees, despite the fact that he looks like he’s about to shank me for taking his photo. ⬇️

Well, I think that’s enough fangirling about Vancouver for one blog post. Moral of the story - zero regrets about moving away from Vancouver Island. It’s great branching out and facing the challenges that come along with adapting to a new environment. A seemingly common question people tend to ask me now is, “well, what’s next”?

Short answer: Southeast Asia.

Long answer:

You may or may not know but I’m actually half Vietnamese, not that you would be able to tell from my ridiculously curly hair or the general lack of knowledge about my Vietnamese roots. That being said, that’s kind of the point of choosing Vietnam as the next point of interest. (And then if there’s time Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand.) After watching a soul crushing Ken Burns documentary on the Vietnam war I figure it was time to learn more about my culture and do a bit of soul searching. What that actually entails though is tracking down my dad’s side of the family to find some answers about where in Vietnam they lived before immigrating to Canada, and if I have any living relatives still residing there. To say the least, it’s going to be an awkward situation as I haven’t interacted with that side of my family since I was a wee babes.

Brother. Dad. BB Kimm.

I assume at this point if you’re still reading, you’re all, “oh shit… what’s she getting into”? So I should probably state that my expectations of the entire situation are incredibly low. I’ve lived my entire life without really knowing anything about these people and my intention of finding them is simply to learn more about where I come from. That’s it, that’s all. I’m not seeking some Hollywood rendition of a long, lost relationship or some strange bonding experience where we all run into each other’s arms and have a giant family reunion. Cause that’s just weird. I’m just curious to learn more about my family tree. I’m also well aware and prepared for the fact that I may not even be able to find them. And that’s cool too - it’s all just part of the adventure.

BB Kimm with her Aunt and Uncle. (I think)

So there’s that. I’m sure it will be an interesting journey. Aside from that little tidbit, it’s been fun planning and finding all the other awesome things to do and see in Vietnam and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what that beautiful country has to offer next year.

In the mean time, I’m off to NYC in a few days and I’m pretty pumped. It’ll be great visiting the big apple again plus seeing some things that were missed the last time around.

I guess it was about four or five years ago that I was in Manhattan last and only really had two days there. Anyone who’s been knows that this is not enough time to explore the entire city. Especially when one of those days was spent just in the Museum of Modern Art… which was totally worth it I might add. Not only do you get to see the works of Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock, Monet, and Frida Kahlo but you also get some pretty bumpin’ window views of the architecture in the area.

Some things on the agenda for this time around include venturing over to Brooklyn, watching Rupi Kaur perform live readings of her poetry, checking out a comedy club/a few different art galleries/museums, and doing “Top of the Rock” at Rockefeller Center. Woo!

Side note: I recently had the opportunity to see Blood Orange play here in Vancouver and by a total fluke he just so happens to be playing in Central Park a few hours after arriving in the city… so naturally that will be happening. Again.

Blood Orange @ Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver BC.

Well. That’s it for now. It’s been great catching up with you, mysterious internet strangers and the handful of friends and family that actually read this. Hopefully it’s not another year before taking the time to write another post.

If you have any suggestions of places to see or things to do in Vietnam or NYC, drop a comment below or shoot me a message via social media.

The “boring” way, or rather, the technical way of describing our setup would be that it’s a 2003 VW LT 35 2.5L TDI with 45,000 miles on the clock. It’s tall enough to stand in and short enough to park in a stall without hassle. But to us it’s just home, or as we call it, “Van Diesel.” Basically, it’s a strategic English stealth-mobile. A black body around black windows that leaves only the iconic VW logo visible. The interior is an inviting warm maple wood finish, reminiscent of a cozy alpine cabin or a relaxing sauna when the kettle is boiling our morning tea. It’s a simple setup but contains all the necessities to make it home.

2. What is your favorite part of your campervan?

Well this might be a tricky question as I’m sure my favourite part of the van is not the same as Kevin’s. To me, my favourite part of the van is our side herb garden and our dashboard succulent garden. I love plants. I love how a little bit of greenery can make a space feel so much more inviting. I also love being able to cook and eat fresh herbs without having to buy them from the grocery store every single time. It also saves us a bit of money on certain things like green onions and celery - you buy them once then simply replant them to use again and again. The “garden” is a small portion of the van but to me it’s the small things that make the space feel comfortable. Kevin’s favourite part of the van is most likely the bed. It’s where we snuggle up on rainy nights to watch movies, but it’s also where we read our books, write our postcards home, or research the next place we’re about to visit. It doubles as a place to relax but also a place to be productive.

3. What makes your campervan story unique?

I think what makes our story unique is just how ambitious it seems. A full year to drive a complete circle around Europe is pretty ambitious. Or at least to us it is. The months leading up to our flight was the equivalent of building a house of cards - every small detail had to line up because if one thing failed to happen our entire plan would fall to pieces. Visas needed to be applied for, money needed to be saved, our belongings needed to be stored, jobs needed to be quit. Basically our entire life at home needed to be canceled. To top things off, Kevin and I had just gotten married which meant I had to go through the motions of applying for all new identification (kind of tricky to travel without a passport). Everything came together in the last week before our flights. Looking back I think we’re both a little surprised that we’re actually here.

4. Where have you been traveling/living in your campervan?

Well we’ve done a few van trips. All in different places with different vans for various lengths of time.

So far on this trip we are three months in and have circled Great Britain and Scandinavia. Special shout out to Norway the most beautiful and expensive country we have ever been. The increased expense pushed us farther into the van than ever before, homemade meals every night. We couldn’t go to pubs but we hiked over 60km in less than a week. Next we begin the long trek down to Greece through the great unknown of Eastern Europe.

Backtracking to where it began four years ago… it was about six months into us dating when we decided to drive across Canada in our mini-van, starting from Vancouver Island and ending up on the East Coast of Newfoundland. To switch things up we returned back home by coming through the United States. Our setup was simply just a bed with black paint on the back windows to block the morning light. Overall this trip took us six week and drove 19,000km.

Another trip we did was from Los Angeles, California to Edmonton, Alberta. We flew down to LA where we had been met with a fellow that we had bought a 79 VW bus from. This vehicle gave us so much trouble, but we feel that’s kind of part of the old school VW experience. Our muscles were beautifully bronzed from pushing that thing so far. We took approximately a month to complete the trip and spent our days and nights adventuring the beautiful beaches and landscapes of USA’s West Coast

Another crazy adventure we did was spending three weeks in Hawaii in the back of a 9-foot rental U-haul moving van. The first part of the trip was spent on the island of Oahu. Once again, our setup was super minimalistic. We had brought an air mattress from home and then just bought some bedding when we got there. Our last night on Oahu our bed had caught on something and popped. When we switched over to the island of Maui we bought a “wine-stained” mattress off of craigslist. Gross.

These are just some of our bigger van trips that we’ve done. Me being from Vancouver Island, and Kevin being from Edmonton means that we’re constantly doing trips between the two places. We’re just lucky that the drive from British Columbia to Alberta means we get an excuse to play and adventure in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. It’s also not uncommon for us to take off for any length of time just to see different parts of Vancouver Island. After all, that’s half the fun of living in the Pacific Northwest. So much uncharted territory to explore. The only hard part is finding the time to do it.

5. Are you a longterm vanlifer or is this a shorter adventure?

What is Vanlife? Getting free accommodation is the best way to travel for longer, so any ideas of going someplace inevitably end up with how can we do it in a van. The van is a literal object but vanlife is more of an ideal. It is on the spectrum of life in between backpacker and home owner, and all things on a spectrum get blurry. We are spending a year in the van but also a week at a hostel in Berlin and have dreams of building a house. Minimalism, realism and the ideals of freedom are our driving factors. We are the sum of all our experiences, so vanlife will always be a part of us.

6. What is the most challenging part about campervan living?

I’m not sure if it’s one of the most challenging parts of van living or just one of the most challenging parts of traveling for long periods of time with someone, but what I’m recognizing on this trip is the importance of personal space. Because we’re sharing such a small space for such a long period of time, it’s so crucial to be able to recognize when it’s time to spend a little time away from one another. And I don’t mean where one person spends a week in a hotel while the other gets the van. When you’re traveling with someone, whether it’s a friend or husband or whatever, it’s just human nature to eventually get on the other person’s nerves. Save yourself the inevitable blow-up and just take a walk by yourself every now and again. Not only do you get some time alone, but it also gives you time to reflect and appreciate some of the amazing experiences you and your partner are sharing together.

7. What is the biggest sacrifice you’ve made to be able to have this lifestyle?

Supporting ailing family members. The phone calls don’t do much. It is tough to justify leaving for a year knowing that you might never see someone you love again. However, the world is a crazy place and that could happen at any moment to anyone. So we press on. Our families support us so much in our choices and encourage us to “do it all while you’re young”.

8. How do you afford this lifestyle?

Kevin - Despite popular belief, you really can do anything you want. Once you free your mind of the invisible boundaries placed upon you, anything is possible. Now back to real life, it is very tough to live outside of society… so let's live on the edge instead. With every dollar spent ask yourself is this something that I really want or am I being told I want it? Do I need to drive a large truck to feel like a man, or is the free car from my mom sufficient? Question every dollar spent. Then work. A lot. I got a job in a remote part of the country and worked 12 hour days, everyday. It sounds extreme, but it took me four months of work to save up for twelve months of freedom. That's a pretty good exchange rate. Once you're living the dream, the same ideology applies: do I need Starbucks or is the van coffee just as good (even better?).

Kimm - Being on the same page of spending and saving in a relationship can be a tough one. But if it’s something you’re both passionate about then it’s easy enough to motivate and inspire one another to stay on track. I also worked my butt off and sacrificed a portion of my social life to save up for this lifestyle. I don’t make as much as Kevin so that meant that sometimes deciding between making our monthly goal or going out for a few drinks with friends. I guess it really comes down to priorities. I’ve also been lucky enough to have skills that can be utilized while we travel. Right now I do freelance marketing for a company back home and sell some of my travel photos to stock photography websites. It’s not a lot to be completely honest, but something is better than nothing! Plus, I feel like I need some type of structure or else I go a little bit crazy.

9. What is the best part of campervan living?

The best part is when the engine is shut off and you open up the back doors to expose your newest home. We look across the epic and ever-changing landscape while laying in bed and remember the fantasy spawned by watching “Bed Knobs and Broomsticks” as a little kid. This is magic - we have a magic bed that can appear anywhere we want. The magic doesn’t end there though. After watching the sunset we pull out the laptop to replay Donkey Kong Country on our Super Nintendo emulator. We approach the final boss and a literal storm has set in and the van is left shaking in the wind while the walls are getting pounded by the rain. After beating the game and having fallen asleep, we awake to a whole new world. Stumbling outside again it’s birds and sun against the morning dew. All of that is pure magic, we live in the future and it is amazing.

10. What is your advice for someone who is interested in campervan life?

Test it out! There’s ways to give van life a go without fully committing to buying and converting a van all in one go. Rent various types of vans, experiment with different lengths of time and distances to gauge where your sweet spot is. Some people prefer to just go on a fun week long camping trip to the mountains where as others are more than happy to spend months living out of their vehicle at the perfect beach spot. This method is also good because it allows you to see if it’s something you could see yourself actually committing to. It’s so easy to be fooled by the many instagram photos of people living their dream out the back of their pinterest decorated van space. As much as that is a part of it, there’s also some downsides to living out of a vehicle that I’m sure some people aren’t prepared for. It’s good to test the waters before spending a ton of money on something that you might not actually like.

Get in the thick of it. Rent the smallest U-haul, inflate an air mattress and drive off into the sunset. Then in the quiet moments of the night answer the questions of life. What do you like? What are you looking for? Does this have the potential to make you happy? In the morning after stretching out your wrenched back, ask the second set of questions: What would make the van better? A real mattress? A hot cup of coffee? A traveling partner?